Kids Nowadays

Are too smart for their own good. There I was sitting, well, not peacefully, maybe a little pensive, inside the American Consulate in Chennai where I had gone to get my H1-B Visa. A little earlier, I had got drenched outside when it had rained for a bit. Then there had been a narrow escape at the prescreening on some technicality which I won’t try and explain. So there I was sitting and calming my nerves, trying to figure out what to do next.

He would have been not more than 5 years old. A dark chubby fellow with mischievous and intelligent eyes, he had trundled to the chair beside me.

“What’s your name?”

Against my better judgment, I replied honestly.

“Anand”

“What?”

“Anand”

“What kind of a stupid name is that?”

Pause. Now I was asking for it.

“What’s your name?”

“Bond”

“What?”

“James Bond”.

I am getting married next week, to the day in fact, to a girl called Meera. Those vaadiyars will be asking my name every alternate minute.

I am going to be tempted.

By the way, if you are reading this, and I haven’t yet invited you, you are invited now.

Which means you can congratulate me.